Israel and Lebanon reach framework agreement with US support

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Announces Deal Framework with Lebanon and Israel

A deal framework has been announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following trilateral talks in Washington, DC. The agreement was reached after four days of US-mediated negotiations between representatives from Lebanon and Israel.

Details about the agreement remain scarce, but Rubio described it as a “first step” towards further discussions. He stated that there is “a lot of work ahead” and acknowledged the difficulty of the task at hand. The Lebanese group Hezbollah was not involved in the talks.

The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on June 17 to bring an end to military operations against Iran, including in Lebanon. However, Israel continued to bombard the country after the signing of the document. A ceasefire was agreed upon last Friday, but Israeli troops remain stationed in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that maintaining a security zone in southern Lebanon is crucial, while Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called for Israel’s unconditional withdrawal from the country as a necessary condition for peace.

US President Donald Trump has expressed concern over the ongoing fighting in Lebanon, which has led to tensions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Trump had previously called Netanyahu “crazy” but maintained that he is a “very good man” with whom he has an “amazing partnership”.

The US Secretary of State’s remarks highlighted the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. Rubio stated that the people of Lebanon have suffered greatly due to outside interference and expressed concern for their well-being.

This marks the fifth round of mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon, following previous meetings in recent months.

Source: Al Jazeera